In this article from PV Magazine, developer Anesco shows that a small 10 MW solar farm is financially viable:

The 10 MW Clayhill solar farm and storage facility, developed by British renewable energy developer Anesco, was officially opened by the U.K. government’s climate change minister Claire Perry.

The 10 MW Clayhill solar farm is supported by 6 MW of battery energy storage and was built without any government subsidy – a first for the U.K.

As the article points out “the 10 MW Clayhill solar farm is the first ground-mounted installation in the country to operate without any form of government support, and could pave the way for a solar revolution 2.0 fuelled by lower-cost solar and balance of systems (BOS) components and supported by integrated energy storage.”

Maybe Cleve Hill’s developers could learn from Anesco.

Anesco’s executive chairman Steve Shine remarked at the plant’s opening that the Clayhill installation proves that the government’s decision to withdraw subsidies for PV does not have to signal the end of solar as a commercially viable technology in the U.K.

“Given our extensive experience with solar and storage projects, we took a fresh look at how we could finance and develop Clayhill without needing a renewables subsidy,” Shine revealed. “We sought the views of our supply chain and with them looked at every aspect of the project – its design, the technical specifications, the use of the very latest technology and the costs of the various components. By deciding to co-locate the 6 MW battery storage unit and by working closely with our supply chain partners, we have been able to achieve a subsidy-free development.”

Public – have your say

Even if you think the proposal should not be allowed, you should explain your concerns to the developer so that, if it does go ahead, the impact on the community and the environment is managed in the best way possible.